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Kubera
Kubera (, ) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (''Dikpala''), and a protector of the world (''Lokapala''). His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species, and the owner of the treasures of the world. Kubera is often depicted with a plump body, adorned with jewels, and carrying a money-pot and a club. Originally described as the chief of evil spirits in Veda, Vedic-era texts, Kubera acquired the status of a ''Deva (Hinduism), deva'' (god) only in the Puranas, ''Purana''s and the Hindu epics. The scriptures describe that Kubera once ruled Lanka, but was overthrown by his half-brother Ravana, later settling in the city of Alaka in the Himalayas. Descriptions of the "glory" and "splendour" of Kubera's city are found in many scriptures. Kubera has also been assimilated into the Buddhist and Jain pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yaksha
The Yakshas (, , ) in Mythology are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is or Yakshini (, ; ). In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, the s have a dual personality. On the one hand, a may be an inoffensive nature-fairy, associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker version of the , which is a kind of ( bhuta) that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travellers, similar to the rakṣasas. Early yakshas Yakshas appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts. Several monumental yakshas are known from the time of the Maurya Empire period. They are variously dated from around the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century BCE. These statues are monumental (usua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yakshas
The Yakshas (, , ) in Mythology are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is or Yakshini (, ; ). In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, the s have a dual personality. On the one hand, a may be an inoffensive nature-fairy, associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker version of the , which is a kind of ( bhuta) that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travellers, similar to the rakṣasas. Early yakshas Yakshas appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts. Several monumental yakshas are known from the time of the Maurya Empire period. They are variously dated from around the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century BCE. These statues are monumental (usual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ravana
According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antagonist and is considered to be a Rakshasa (demon). In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described as the eldest son of sage Vishrava and Kaikesi, Kaikasi. He abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and took her to his kingdom of Lanka, where he held her in the Ashok Vatika, Ashoka Vatika. Rama, with the support of vanara King Sugriva and his army of vanaras, launched a rescue operation for Sita against Ravana in Lanka. Ravana was subsequently slain, and Rama rescued his beloved wife Sita. Ravana was well-versed in the six shastras and the four Vedas, including the Shiva Tandava Stotra. Ravana is also considered to be the most revered devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana are often seen associated with Shiva at temples. He also appears in the Buddhist Mahayana t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nalakuvara
Nalakuvara, also known as Nalakubara (), appears in Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the brother of Manigriva (also known as Manibhadra), the son of the yaksha The Yakshas (, , ) in Mythology are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Bud ... king Kubera (also known as Vaiśravaṇa, Vaishravana), and husband of Rambha (apsara), Rambha and Ratnamala. Nalakuvara often appears as a sexual trickster figure in Hindu and Buddhist literature. Names Various Sanskrit and Prakrit texts offer the name "Nalakuvara", "Nalakūvala", "Mayuraja", "Narakuvera", and "Naṭakuvera" to describe the son of Kubera. The god also appears in Chinese texts as "Nazha", and later "Nezha", a shortened transliteration of the word "Nalakuvara". Legend Hinduism Ramayana In the Rāmāyaṇa, Ramayana, Nalakuvara's, first wife, Rambha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhadra
''Bhadra'' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'good', 'fortune' or 'auspicious'. It is also the name of many men, women and objects in Hinduism. Male Figures King of Chedi Bhadra was a king of Chedi Kingdom who participated in the Kurukshetra War from the side of the Pandavas. He was killed by the warrior Karna. Grandson of Manu The first man Svayambhuva Manu and his Shatarupa had a daughter named Shraddha. Bhadra was one of her twelve sons. Yaksha Bhadra was also the name of a Yaksha who served their king, Kubera. Due to a curse of sage Gautama, he was born as a lion. Krishna's son The god Krishna married the river goddess Kalindi and had 10 sons. Bhadra was one of them. Sage Bhadra was a renowned Maharishi. He was the son of Pramati and the father of Upamanyu. Female figures Bhadrakali Bhadrā or Bhadrakālī is one of the fierce forms of the supreme goddess Devi. Kubera's wife Bhadrā is the queen of Yakshas. She was the first wife of Kubera, the god of wealth. She is also kno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alaka
Alaka (), also called Alakapuri or Alkavati, is a city featured in Hinduism. It is the home of Kubera, the king of a race called the yakshas and the god of wealth. The Mahabharata mentions this city as the capital of the Yaksha kingdom. This city is said to rival Amaravati, the capital of Indra, the king of the devas, in its architecture, opulence, and overall splendour. It is quoted in the Sanskrit lyrical poem MeghadūtaMeghadūta by Kalidasa. Description Kubera establishes his rule over the yakshas and founds his new capital near Kailasha after having lost the kingdom of Lanka to his half-brother Ravana. Alaka is sometimes referred to as the most splendid city in the world, under the rule of Kubera. The yakshas of the city are stated to guard it, wielding javelins and swords. In the Bhagavata Purana, Dhruva is described to have once attacked this city, slaying thousands of yakshas in vengeance for the death of his brother at the hands of a yaksha. He ceased when his gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishrava
Vishrava (, ), also called Vishravas, is the son of Pulastya, and a powerful rishi (sage), as described in the Hindu epic Ramayana. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through the performance of tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow rishis. He is best known for being the father of the primary antagonist of the Ramayana, Ravana. Legend Birth The birth of Vishrava is described in the Ramayana. Once, the great sage Pulastya has engaged in austerities in the ashrama of Trinabindu, on the slopes of Mount Meru. Even as he was engaged in a penance in solitude, he was disturbed by a number of youthful maidens, the daughters of other sages, pannagas, as well as apsaras. They played their musical instruments and danced, seeking to divert his attention. Enraged, Pulastya declared that she among them who fell under his gaze would instantly conceive. Terrified of the Brahmin's curse, the girls vanished. During this moment, Manini, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lanka
Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikuta Mountains. The ancient city of Lankapura is said to have been burnt down by Hanuman. After its king, Ravana was killed by Rama with the help of Ravana's brother Vibhishana, the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the Pandavas. According to the ''Mahabharata'', the Pandava Sahadeva visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the rajasuya of Yudhishthira. The palaces of Ravana were said to be guarded by four-tusked elephants. Ramayana Rulers of Lanka According to both the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', Lanka was originally ruled by a rakshasa named Sumali. According to Uttara Kanda, Vishwakarma, the divine architect of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ilavida
Ilavida or Idavida () is a character in the ''Ramayana''. She is the first wife of the sage Vishrava and the mother of Kubera. Legend In the ''Ramayana'', Ilavida is described to be the daughter of the ''rishi'' Bharadvaja. Ilavida was given in marriage to the ''rishi'' Vishrava and had a son with him, Kubera, who would eventually become the king of Lanka Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks kn .... Citations and notes {{reflist Characters in the Ramayana Hindu mythology ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deva (Hinduism)
''Deva'' (, ) means 'shiny', 'exalted', 'heavenly being', 'divine being', 'anything of excellence', and is also one of the Sanskrit terms used to indicate a deity in Hinduism.Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary” Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 492 ''Deva'' is a masculine term; the feminine equivalent is ''Devi (Hinduism), Devi''. The word is a cognate with Latin ''deus'' ('god') and Greek Zeus. In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called ''Devas''George Williams (2008), A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Oxford University Press, , pages 90, 112 and ''Asuras''. The concepts and legends evolved in Indian literature#In archaic Indian languages, ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as ''Deva-Asuras''. In post-Vedic Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the ''Devas'' represent the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guardians Of The Directions
The Guardians of the Directions (, ) are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Hinduism, Jainism and ''Vajrayana, '' Buddhism—especially Kalachakra, . As a group of eight deities, they are called (अष्ट-दिक्पाल), literally meaning guardians of eight directions. They are often augmented with two extra deities for the ten directions (the two extra directions being zenith and nadir), when they are known as the . In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of Hindu temples. They are also often portrayed in Jain temples, with the exception that Nāga usually takes the place of Vishnu in the nadir. Ancient Java and Bali Hinduism recognize , literally meaning guardians of nine directions, that consist of eight directions with one addition in the center. The nine guardian gods of directions is called ''Dewata Nawa Sanga'' (Nine guardian devata). The diagram of these guardian gods of directions is feat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lokapalas
(, ), Sanskrit, Pāli, and Tibetan for "guardian of the world", has different uses depending on whether it is found in a Hindu or Buddhist context. In Hinduism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Guardians of the Directions associated with the eight, nine and ten cardinal directions. In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Four Heavenly Kings, and to other protector spirits, whereas the Guardians of the Directions are referred to as ''dikpāla''. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the guardians of the cardinal directions are called ''dikapāla''. The four principal guardians are: # Kubera (North) # Yama (South) # Indra (East) # (West) In Buddhism In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' are one of two broad categories of '' dharmapāla'' (protectors of the Buddhist religion) -the other category being Wisdom Protectors. In China, "each is additionally associated with a specific direction and the Four Heraldic Animals of Chinese astronomy/astrology, as well as playing a more secular role in rural com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
